Yesterday something awful happened. We had 2 chinchillas and one of them got crushed somehow by accident cause my sister fell on her She (the chinchilla) started bleeding everywhere and my parents rushed her to the vet but it was too late and she died
She was only a baby, and the other chinchilla (her sister) really misses her. I keep crying about it, and I can't stop thinking about it. I keep blaming myself, like I'm thinking "If I'd gone downstairs 5 minutes earlier like I was planning to hold them, it wouldn't have happened." I don't think I'll be able to get over it that she died that way and she was only a baby

Has anyone else had something like this happen? How did you deal with it???

(Original post by Anonymous)
Yesterday something awful happened. We had 2 chinchillas and one of them got crushed somehow by accident cause my sister fell on her She (the chinchilla) started bleeding everywhere and my parents rushed her to the vet but it was too late and she died
She was only a baby, and the other chinchilla (her sister) really misses her. I keep crying about it, and I can't stop thinking about it. I keep blaming myself, like I'm thinking "If I'd gone downstairs 5 minutes earlier like I was planning to hold them, it wouldn't have happened." I don't think I'll be able to get over it that she died that way and she was only a baby

Has anyone else had something like this happen? How did you deal with it???

Op don't blame yourself for this, like you said it was an accident and these things do happen.
Think of how many situations would have been different if you think 'if i'd gone....just x amount of minutes earlier'..we can't change what has happened and thinking that way will only make you feel incredibly guilty.
One of our guini pigs ate something poisonous and died and you just have to think that these things just happen and its out of our hands to control it.
Maybe you should spend more time with the other chinchilla and take your mind off of it, and remember it's not your fault!

When I was around 10 years old I went through a period of thinking it was a good idea to exercise my two baby Russian hamsters, Snip and Snap, in an empty bath whilst my brother and I sat in there with them. Sadly this period didn't last too long as one morning whilst doing so one of my hamsters seemed to disappear. I stood up and.. ********. One dead hamster lying beneath me.

This tale may sound like it wasn't terrible at the time, but I assure you it was. I was beside myself with grief for killing Snip (Snap went on living a long and fulfilling life with her owner wishing she was a dog) and it took me quite a while to get over the guilt.

In your case, please don't feel guilty about it. The world is filled with so many 'what if' situations that it's really not conducive to a healthy soul to carry on dwelling about them. It's not like you intentionally left your chinchilla to die.

OP pets dont usually outlive owners your sister should be more careful in future. when did it happen? chinchillas are crepuscular so they shouldnt be out during the day anyway, seeing as chinchilla are naturally skittish creatures.